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MUDspeke Dictionary

1.verb0 Abbreviation for the 'down' directional command; often capitalised. Many twisting and turning routes can be remembered more easily in terms of going d a few times rather than as a string (3) of arbitrary directions. D is not an abbreviation for 'drop', and accidental use of it as such can cause distress and/or sillies.

2.noun When followed by a number, it refers to a particular dwarf, eg. D48.

exclamation The traditional thing to say to the other victim of Eros, signifying that you're immediately ready to kiss if they are. P1: "Darling!" P2: "NRBL?".

database

noun The definition of the current MUD scenario. In MUD1, the database (written in MUDDL) really is a database, but MUD2's database (written in MUDDLE) looks like a proper program. The text that comprises the database is read in by another program (misleadingly referred to as the 'loader' or 'compiler') and interpreter-friendly intermediate code is produced. Only since 1991 has this program stopped being called 'dbase' - it's now the equally confusing 'mcomp'. When MUD is said to 'have a new database' it means that revisions to the MUDDLE code have been made and the changes are about to take effect. As a result, Strange Things may occur... See definition language, DB, version, Mist, Rock.

DB

1.noun Abbreviation for 'database'. "When's the new DB coming up?" See database.

2.noun Nickname of "The Dragon's Breath", the monthly on-line magazine for BLplayers.

D&D

1.noun Abbreviation for 'Dungeons & Dragons', the original role-playing game published by Tactical Studies Rules (now just TSR) Ltd. D&D influenced Richard Bartle concerning some additions to MUDversion 3 (notably in having levels for personae); it had no influence on Roy Trubshaw. See class (2), FOD.

2.nounBL abbreviation for 'druids and dragon', referring to the cost-effective way of getting big T by doing these in combination.

adjective Killed by having your stamina drop to 0 or less, usually in a fight (but eg. see FOD). If you're dead dead, you lose all your points, and your persona is eradicated from the persona file. You have to start again from scratch. Unlike many MUAs, if you die in a MUD fight it makes no difference who started it - this is seen as an essential aspect of sound game management, and a good way to build character (4). Sometimes the phrase is used in noun form as death death. See dead, die (1), take a fall, bloodlust.

noun The language in which the database is written. Some MUAs are hard-coded in a normal programming language such as C; others have some information kept externally in files, eg. room descriptions; more sophisticated ones (like MUD1) have some command information in these files; others allow all commands to be defined externally; a few (like MUD2) permit database items to be added from within the game itself. Strictly speaking, a definition language is the language in which the basic set of rooms, objects and so on are written such that substantially different game worlds can be modelled. See MUDDL, MUDDLE.

demon

noun A piece of program code executed when a certain specific event takes place, usually the elapsing of a period of time. demons are most often used to control timed events, such as combat, sleeping and 'auto' commands. demons are not mobiles in the normal sense - you wouldn't see one suddenly materialise in front of you - but they may be implemented using the mechanism that's employed for moving mobiles. See action, MUDDL, timers.

depth

noun The quality in a MUA of having detail; sometimes referred to as sophistication. It is the extent to which the MUA models its world, the implication being that the closer it is to the real world then the greater its depth (but see unrealistic). Unless there is an advertised reason why not, dropping a glass on a hard surface "should" break it; dropping it on a soft surface "shouldn't"; placing a box inside a larger sack "should" be allowed, unless the sack is itself inside the box, when it "shouldn't". depth is considered a Good Thing, but only if it is discreet: players like being surprised when mobiles are sensible about which object to use as a weapon, but they don't like being asked over which joint of which finger they want a ring to be placed. depth is best when unobtrusive. Compare breadth, see selective depth.

dex

noun The usual abbreviation for 'dexterity'.

die

1.verb0 What your persona does when either your stamina drops to 0 or you do something stupid enough to warrant a slap on the wrist from the game. Normally, whether you are dead or dead dead will be clear from the context, but sometimes the term is modified to make ambiguities clear. "Jojo the warlock died dead dead last night, but I don't know who to thank". On rare occasions, die die is used equivalently.

2.imperative One of the few sentences killers feel able to utter when they are hacking someone. That they have risen above the primitive mind soup of base instincts which characterises hack mode for long enough to waste a command on you can only mean one of two things: (a) you are losing by quite a margin; (b) the killer is losing but wants you to believe (a). See HAHAHA.

noun Someone who has been either playing or writing MUAs for a considerable time. This is usually relative to the game: an Internet player of 2 years' standing might be considered a dino, but on MUD2 they'd be regarded as comparative newcomers! For the abbreviationally-impaired, dino is short for 'dinosaur'; it is a term of approbation, a version of hacker (5) appropriate for MUAs.

do a <name>

verb0 To behave in a manner like that of <name>. Usually, <name> will be the name of some persona with a legendarily one-dimensional behavioural pattern, eg. "We'd part-emptied the T chamber, when suddenly he did a Phil on me!". In some cases, <name> will be an object or mobile name, eg. "He was doing a banshee - he jumped me in the swamp". Currently popular do a <name>s have been left out of this dictionary, in order to discourage in-for-me.

do for

verb1 To do for someone is to beat them convincingly in combat. "Melanie jumped me last night, but I did for her alright". mobiles can do forplayers, but the phrase does not seem in general to apply conversely, except when a mobile has been particularly belligerent. "I did for the vampy on my third attempt".

noun The champion/championne level, when considered as potential food for killers. To classy killers, attacking champs is like eating dogfood - it'll do if there's nothing else, but proper food tastes SO much better. The etymology is interesting, a combination of the title of the 1960's children's TV programme 'Champion the Wonder Horse' and the standard <level> meat construction. Since Champion was a horse, champion meat must be dogfood (although not necessarily in France...).

dog suggestion

noun A suggestion which the person making it thinks is brilliant in its originality, but which in reality is depressingly hackneyed. It derives from the most frequent such proposal: "We should have a dog! And it could follow you around!". MUD2 loathes and despises dogs, and will not even tolerate them as blanks... See undersea city and tidal.

verb1 To do the <subject> is to obtain the bulk of the points associated with <subject>. Common examples are doing the icons, draggy, fountain, Inn, Mine, goblins, snakes... The implication is that it will take some time. The the is often optional, especially in BL. It's an accepted excuse when asked to join in something that you're doing something else at the time. Q: "PC?" A: "Sorry, I'm doing the HH."

DOTM

noun Abbreviation for 'death of the month'. An award granted monthly to the mortal (or, exceptionally, mobile) which has suffered the most humorous/spectacular dead dead death in the preceding month. As with POTM, it is the wizzes who decide the winner of the DOTM award. There is no postfix on the recipient's name, however, as the victorious persona is by definition deceased...

dr

verb12 The abbreviation for the 'drop' command in MUD. Since all commands that relocate an object from a persona to some other container use the same MUDDLE routines, DR is also used as the shortened form of 'give' and 'insert'. "I'll dr you a call when my train arrives". See g.

the draggy

noun The dragon, MUD's most fearsome mobile. A term of endearment, "The draggy gave me a bit of a fright last reset". Sometimes just draggy, but it commands too much respect to lose its definite article very often. the draggy is an example of one of the few mobiles that has wizprivs. Alternative spelling: draggie. See y.

dream word

noun The magic word that comes to you as you sleep, the saying of which will enable you to recover some stamina if you can do so before anyone else. Sometimes, altruistic souls will tell you what it is in case you need it in an upcoming fight. However, see vial word.

3.verb0 What the communications link between a player's computer and the MUDhost does when it feels so inclined. See BT. Any of (1) to (3) may be abbreviated to dr carrier, as dr is MUD's abbreviation for 'drop'.

dwarf

nounDwarf is a sub-class of mobile. There are more dwarf than any other type of mobile, and they live in the dwarf Realm. They have mixed abilities, ranging from dies-from-one-blow to casts-spells-and- steals-your-wafers. Dwarfguards are particularly awkward to kill, as they come in groups of three. NB: the plural of dwarf is dwarfs: there are no 'dwarves' in MUD! See PORG, stumpy, genocide.